


Safe Haven

by KaijuusAndKryptids



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Zombies, Angst, Established Relationship, Euthanasia, Fear, Guilt, Gun Violence, Implied/Referenced Sex, M/M, Teasing, Tragedy, Trauma, Zombie Apocalypse, Zombies, its worse than you think
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-06
Updated: 2016-11-06
Packaged: 2018-08-29 09:09:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8483605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaijuusAndKryptids/pseuds/KaijuusAndKryptids
Summary: After the zombie outbreak, Makoto and Sousuke find a quiet cabin in the woods which provides them with calm and peace of mind... Up until it doesn't.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bricker](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bricker/gifts).



> I hope you like angst :)

The early sun of dawn creeps through the window and rouses Makoto. He burrows deeper in his boyfriend’s flannel, breathing in his musky scent for a second before dragging himself out of bed. He steps into the warm light of the dusty old cabin, surveying their collection of supplies piled on the table. His heart stops in his throat when his eyes linger over the open door.

 

He takes an unsteady step toward the door, absently grabbing his pistol from the table, eyes trained on the door. His approach is nearly silent, until he steps into view of the whole front yard and the floor creaks.

 

“Baby? You up?” The voice of his tall, sweet, and most importantly **alive** , boyfriend steals a nervous breath from Makoto’s system. He sucks in a shuddering breath of relief and tucks his pistol away in the back of his pants. Sousuke half turns to meet Makoto’s eyes over his shoulder and stretches his grin into a more reassuring, warm smile. Makoto twines his arms around Sousuke’s middle and drops his head onto his shoulder.

 

“You scared me.” Makoto mumbles, lazily swinging their bodies. He presses a kiss to Sousuke’s shoulder. “ Y‘ left the door open.”

 

“Had to let Missy out to piss.” He chuckles back, expecting the playful swat he receives from his boyfriend.

 

“Vulgar!” Makoto teases. The two of them bask in the brisk mountain air, holding on to their moment of peace; Makoto tries to burn the image to his brain. Pretty memories like these hardly last. The last week or so, they’ve had time to recollect themselves at this secluded little cabin, where their routine’s changed from taking shifts sleeping to waking up together. Sousuke keeps an eye trained to the forest ahead, listening for any drawn out moans or breaking twigs. None come, but the fear never really goes away.

 

Makoto feels much more awake when Missy comes trailing back to the cabin. Her usual strong posture seems slumped, and he worries briefly if she got hurt. Then she starts growling. Makoto squeezes Sousuke’s bicep but he’s so tense Mako doesn’t think he feels it. Sousuke raises his shotgun, ready for a zombie to come tripping out from behind a tree any moment now.

 

But Missy isn’t growling at the forest.

 

Makoto listens to any movement around the corner of the cabin, but hearing nothing unnerving approaching he turns his gaze back to their watchdog. Her uneven gait makes her once graceful Doberman stature look more like an overgrown dachshund. Makoto can’t help the distraught choked off sound that bubbles out of him. They say grief starts with disbelief. “Sou?”

 

“Get inside.” He commands, already backing them into the cabin. Missy seems to remember this command, and comes sauntering at them. Sousuke shoves Makoto inside, and only barely manages to throw the door partially shut before 80lbs of dog smash into the door. Panic catches, and starts to blaze as Sousuke desperately kicks at their rabid, beloved, companion in attempt to shut the door fully.

 

Makoto has to hold back a gag when he hears a snap, and then brace himself for the contorted howl of pain that follows. Sousuke slams the door shut and dry heaves. Makoto crawls to his love and claws at him, pulling him as close as he can with hands that can’t stop shaking. Both of them slump to the ground. Makoto rubs crude circles on Sousuke’s back, and Sousuke winds his arms around his boyfriend, squeezing him like it might wipe the memory from his brain. Makoto listens to Sousuke choke back sobs and hyperventilating into his shoulder at the thought of _his_ dog getting sick. The frothy sounding barking never pauses long enough to breathe deeply. Makoto buries his head in Sousuke’s shoulder and with a shuddering breath croaks out, “She’s going to attract a horde.”

 

Sousuke crushes his forehead into Makoto’s neck with a helpless whimper. The unspoken _we have to run_ hangs heavy in the air. Not that either of them really let themselves hope to stay here forever, their resources would run out eventually. The cabin was quiet though, it made a good haven to play pretend, like everything’s okay. It was easy to defend from the stray zombie, but if a horde came for them while they were inside they’d be trapped and possibly overrun. Sousuke pulls back and nods, dragging his hands over his face, destroying the tear-stained ski trails marking his cheeks. Makoto presses a hand into Sousuke’s cheek with a trembling lip.

 

“I don’t think I can do it.” Makoto chokes out, weakly, pathetically, to his own ears. He’s not sure Sousuke can hear him. Sousuke forces himself to his feet and holds out a hand to Makoto. Makoto still can’t stop shaking. Sousuke pulls him in for a brief, but grounding hug. Trailing his nose over Makoto’s neck, he says, “Pack what you can carry.” He presses a kiss to Makoto’s cheek and pulls away to organize ammo inventory.

 

Makoto trails around the cabin in a numb daze. He hates how broken his boyfriend sounds, and he hates that he can’t do much else than pack their necessities.

 

He neatly folds the comforter from the bed he shared with Missy and Sousuke. Where him and Sousuke felt safe enough to let their guard down enough to banish Missy to the floor for a night. He swallows the memories; they won’t comfort him right now. Makoto drops the neatly folded comforter on the table and rummages through the food supply taking what doesn’t need to be heated up and dropping them into his backpack. He refills all the water bottles and stuffs all of them in all the pockets he can manage to fit them into.

 

He spares a glance at his boyfriend testing the weight of his own backpack on the shoulder that never really healed right. His heart aches at the sight of the red stinging his eyes and the unshed tears threatening to fall, but he squashes down the wishes bubbling to the surface of his mind. He throws himself back into his task of packing food and blankets with his tremoring hands, more like a shiver than an earthquake now.

 

He tries to focus only on packing, and not about how many times Missy has alerted them to danger when neither of them saw it coming. Nor did he think about how protective Missy was of Sousuke, how she’d give a warning bark whenever they’d kiss and a red faced Sousuke had to call her off. He especially didn’t think about the first time Missy curled up next to _him_ on a cold night and how soft Sousuke looked when Missy finally accepted Makoto as a part of their duo. He determinedly does not look at the chewed up leg of the chair, when they were too scared to let Missy run around outside at first, and she got moody. He doesn’t look at the little birdy wind chimes hanging from the window, the ones Sousuke said looked like them and he knew they’d be alright.

 

He doesn’t look at any of the parts of the cabin he definitely can’t miss. He focuses on the weight of his own backpack, heavy with their future, and the heft of his pistol always reloaded and safety on.

 

He picks up the sleeping bags they haven’t used in a while, shaking the uniform layer of dust off them and clipping them to the bottom of his and Sousuke’s backpacks. Sousuke oh so gently rests his hand over Makoto’s with the look that says ‘forever’ and squeezes a little.

 

“You ready, Mako?” Makoto opens his mouth to say no, but their bags aren’t getting any lighter no matter how many times Makoto re-tightens the sleeping bag straps. Sousuke hugs Makoto, trying to ground himself. Not sure if he hears a whimper, but not wanting to press it he tries to give Sousuke a reassuring smile. Makoto watches him pick up his shotgun, and turn the safety off. They grab their respective backpacks and Sousuke puts himself in-between the door and Makoto. Guilt eats at Makoto watching his boyfriend’s jaw tighten, and he hugs Sousuke from behind and kisses an apology on the back of Sousuke’s neck.

 

Sousuke throws the door open, momentarily throwing Missy off her feet before she scrambles toward them, eyes blank and mouth frothing. With a single echoing shot, Missy stills and slumps. No more barking. In the distance there’s a muffled chorus of moans that neither of them want to meet. Makoto sobs into Sousuke’s shoulder, but he tries to convince himself that its much more humane to put her out of her misery than force her to suffer any longer.

 

Sousuke pulls Makoto’s face into his shoulder as they step around Missy and into the midday sun. Makoto pulls back after a little distance is put between them and the porch, and he squeezes Sousuke’s bicep.

 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t-“ he cuts himself off, unable to even say it. Too emotionally exhausted to do anything more, Sousuke leans into Makoto more heavily and he nods. His jaw is still tight, trying to keep his vision from blurring, but he gently brushes tears away from Makoto’s eyes.

 

They stagger through the forest coming across a tree with an unmoving rotted corpse laying upright on it. Makoto holds his pistol out, just in case, as they scurry past. It hasn’t moved in a while, yet some of the blood looks fresh. At least the blood from the gnawed leg looks fresh. He doesn’t want to think about the similar marks on the leg of the cabin table.

 

They don’t waste a moment. Makoto supports Sousuke and they keep going.

 


End file.
